A team of researchers from the University of Minnesota is testing a new approach to early cancer detection for dogs at risk of developing diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The study, funded by the Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) and the Golden Retriever Foundation, is called “test and intervene,” and uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze bits of DNA fragments in blood. .1 The findings may help identify dogs at higher risk for DLBCL and potentially offer a way to prevent the cancer.
DLBCL is a very aggressive type of cancer and is the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in dogs and humans.2,3 It is usually treated with “CHOP” chemotherapy protocols that include the drugs cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin (hydroxydaunorubicin), vincristine (Oncovin), and prednisone. According to the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, the CHOP method of treatment has cured about 30-40% of people with DLBCL, but less than 1-2% of dogs. The university believes that this difference in cure rates may be due to the fact that humans receive all of the CHOP medications all on the same day, whereas dogs receive the medications individually at weekly intervals. .3
This study is currently tapping into MAF’s ongoing Golden Retriever Lifetime Study to identify DNA patterns in the dogs’ blood before developing cancer. “The Morris Animal Foundation is proud to continue our partnership with the Golden Retriever Foundation and extend the impact of the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study on this important canine lymphoma research,” said Kathy Tietje, MBA, PhD, chief program officer for Morris Animal Foundation, in a news release.1
Jaime Modiano, VMD, PhD, examines a sample at the Masonic Cancer Center at the University of Minnesota. (Photo courtesy of the Morris Animal Foundation)
“Given the opportunity to provide significant funding for this study, the Golden Retriever Foundation is excited to be a part of the LyRA (project) as well as to continue working with the Morris Animal Foundation,” said Christine Miele, president of the Golden Retriever Foundation. . “Lymphoma sadly affects nearly one in eight dogs and results in both expense and loss of companionship. We look forward to the day of early detection and the application of prevention and treatment.”1
MAF and the Golden Retriever Foundation hope that this research can extend to other mammals including cats, endangered species, and even humans. Another goal is to expand research for insights into aging, cancer risk, and other chronic conditions beyond defining DLBCL.1
“The LyRA test will categorize dogs at low or high risk for developing this type of cancer and will guide the creation of prevention strategies for dogs considered at high risk,” said Jaime Modiano, VMD, PhD, is the principal investigator of the study and the Perlman Professor of oncology and comparative medicine, and the director of the Animal Cancer Care and Research Program at the University of Minnesota. “We want to be thoughtful about how everything we do has the potential to promote good aging, not only for our housemates but also for the other animals that make the world a place to be.” all of us to live.”1
Sources
- New research uses AI to identify dogs at higher risk for cancer. News release. Morris Animal Foundation. March 26, 2024. Accessed March 27, 2024. https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/novel-research-leverages-ai-to-identify-dogs-at-higher-risk-for- cancer-302099825 .html
- Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Lymphoma Research Foundation. Accessed March 27, 2024. https://www.lymphoma.org/understanding-lymphoma/aboutlymphoma/nhl/dlbcl/
- Canine B-cell lymphoma clinical trials. Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. Accessed March 27, 2024. https://vet.purdue.edu/wcorc/clinical-trials/canine-b-cell-lymphoma.php#:~:text=Diffuse%20large%20B%2Dcell%20lymphoma% 20(DLBCL )%20is%20the%20most,ncovin)%2C%20and%20p%20prednisone.
